Hello

I’m Jen — a Type A creative with a passion for both music and business. I studied voice and piano at two of the top conservatories in the world, but at 24 I swapped concert halls for entrepreneurship.

In 2010, I dove in headfirst and opened my first two businesses: The Village Tavern, a live music venue and restaurant on Highway 17 in Mt. Pleasant, SC, and Wando Voice Studio LLC. It was a bold move for someone who had no idea what they were doing—but it worked.

As life evolved, so did my work. I sold The Village Tavern to focus on growing Wando Voice Studio, got married, and teamed up with my husband, Ed. Ed is a former professional musician and live sound engineer who made a career shift three years ago to become a financial planner with Blanton Financial. He’s a self-proclaimed “Type A in training,” but truthfully, he brings the calm balance to my big ideas.

Together, we merged Encore Music Store and WVS to create FAME Performing Arts, and in 2020, we launched Encore Music Hall, an event rental and performance space. Now, we’re excited for the next chapter—bringing the community together through social events for kids (and soon, adults too).

While Ed keeps things grounded, I run the show here—and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My heart is in business ownership and serving families right here in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

My Story

I grew up backstage, on stage, and basically everywhere music happens. I started piano and voice lessons at age five and spent my childhood dreaming big—studying voice and piano through undergrad and grad school, planning a career as an international opera singer. My biggest claim to "fame" was being cast at age 18 by Broadway Director Neil Goldberg as the only singer in Imaginique, a Cirque show. I performed for 3,000 people every night for 67 nights. Summer of 2004 was the time of my life!

Then, life threw me a curveball. In the winter of 2004, a serious medical accident left me with a broken sternum—and, for a while, a broken dream. I was determined to sing again, but I had to figure out how to get there on my own. Along the way, I discovered a new passion: teaching. I started giving lessons at 21 and opened my first studio at 24.

Around that same time, an unexpected opportunity popped up: owning and running a music venue in Mt. Pleasant, SC. I said yes—because why not combine teaching and planning live events, two things I genuinely loved? Owning a restaurant/bar music venue was thrilling, but ultimately it wasn’t my forever stage. I sold it and focused on what really lit me up: my music studio.

Music also led me to my husband, Ed—we met while I was singing at a Christmas concert at the Charleston Library Society and he was running sound. Soon after getting married, we started a family, and our businesses naturally evolved to fit our life together.

Fast forward to today: after five years of daydreaming, our event space for families is finally ready. I can’t wait to bring families together for music, events, and memories that will last a lifetime. Through it all—teaching, performing, planning events—my goal has stayed the same: creating spaces where creativity, connection, and a little bit of magic can happen every day.

Things to know about me:

I have a love/hate relationship with social media.
I love traveling—both solo and with my family.
I’m a cancer survivor—5 years in 2025!
I prefer being behind the scenes.
Sometimes I love solitude, sometimes I love being in a group.
I believe every human should experience being on stage, no matter their ability.
I don’t believe competition belongs in arts education.
I think performing arts degrees are often overrated.
I love organizing group vacations.

Contact

I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities to host at EMH. Let's connect.

encoremusichall@gmail.com